Kaduna Police Arrest Man Over Alleged Killing of Girlfriend After Phone Dispute

By Benson Daniel

The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested a man, Manaseh Bitrus Jatau, in connection with the death of his 35-year-old girlfriend, Rebecca Ojonike Jeremiah, following an alleged dispute involving a phone call from another woman.

Jeremiah’s lifeless body was discovered along Mai Angwa Street in the Romi area of Kaduna at about 7am on September 5, 2026. Police said the body was found with cotton wool stuffed in her nostrils, prompting detectives from the Romi Outstation to begin an immediate investigation.

Following the discovery, officers took the woman to St Gerald Hospital in Kakuri, Kaduna, where a medical doctor confirmed her death. Her remains were subsequently deposited at the hospital mortuary pending an autopsy to establish further details surrounding the circumstances of her death.

Preliminary police investigations reportedly identified Jatau as the last person known to have contacted Jeremiah before her death. Investigators said he had invited her to meet him at Ebano Joint in Romi.

The suspect was later traced to his workplace at Tomato Jos Company in the Maraban Jos area of Kaduna, where he was arrested.

During interrogation, police said Jatau admitted that he had an altercation with Jeremiah in his room after a dispute over a phone call from another woman. The police said the suspect claimed the confrontation became physical and resulted in Jeremiah’s death.

Investigators also alleged that Jatau confessed to moving the woman’s body and dumping it in an open field near his residence in an attempt to conceal what had happened.

The police have continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death, with the autopsy expected to provide additional evidence that could help establish the cause and manner of Jeremiah’s death.

Jatau remains in police custody and is expected to be charged in court after the completion of the investigation.

The Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad, condemned acts of violence and urged residents to resolve disputes peacefully rather than resorting to physical confrontation.

The command also reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing justice for the deceased and ensuring that anyone found responsible for the incident faces the appropriate legal process.